The Wolves Underground
by Foxx Laverinth
Summary: Remus begins life among the ferals. This is actually the first fic I wrote after reading HBP.


**The Wolves Underground**

His contact met him where the road dead-ended. It was a young man, probably about 20 years or so younger than himself and about half a head shorter. The man was dressed in a dark hooded robe. Judging from the man's callused bare feet and otherwise filthy appearance despite the robe itself being quite tidy, he wouldn't have been shocked to find out that was _all_ he wore. Long and matted sandy-brown bangs fell over his eyes beneath the line of the hood.

"Stop," the man said as he approached, his voice a harsh and ragged whisper. He obeyed, and stood patiently still as the filthy man limped over to him and began to sniff at him. After hobbling around him several times he appeared satisfied. "You are... Lupin. Yes?"

He gave a curt nod. "Remus Lupin. Yes."

The man's face was suddenly inches from his own, teeth bared and amber eyes bright with anger. "You stink of humans and magic," he growled. "Live among them, do you? Try to fit in? They won't let you, you know." He then grinned in a rather nasty manner. "Of course you know."

Lupin said nothing.

The man pulled back, grin fading into a frown. "But you are indeed Were. Greyback will see you. Please follow." With that, he began limping off towards a small structure in the distance. Lupin followed immediately.

The structure was the remains of an old farmhouse. The roof had long since been ripped away, and only two of the walls were even partially standing. A semi-rectangular mound of bricks was all that was left of the fireplace, and there wasn't a trace of furniture of any sort. The black-robed werewolf lead him around to the far side of the ruined house, where he then saw a set of doors leading to what must be the cellar. The wooden doors didn't share the same dilapidated state as the rest of the building, and in fact seemed to have been recently repaired. His guide opened them, and motioned for him to follow him down. With the hairs on the back of his neck tingling horribly and one hand clenched tight about the wand in his pocket, he did so.

As he reached the bottom, he was greeted with the gazes of several others. They were all werewolves, obviously, in various stages of cleanliness or undress. There were a couple tables set up, though a few of the room's occupants seemed to prefer the floor. A handful were dressed in black robes, like his contact was. Most wore ragged and tattered clothing - some just enough to keep them modest. One young woman, hardly even an adult, wore nothing at all. Remus carefully averted his eyes from that corner of the room. It smelled of filth, fur, must and blood. It took a great deal of effort for him not to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

None of them stepped forward to meet him, and he had yet to see any that matched the description of Greyback.

"Where - " He was cut off from finishing that question as a large hand clamped around his throat. He sputtered for a moment, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of his assailant from the corner of his eyes.

"Good evening," a raspy voice sounded near his ear. "Come to romp with the other wolves, have you?"

The large werewolf released his neck and strode out in front of him. Remus rubbed at the spot, feeling he might later have a bruise.

Fenrir Greyback was a tall, muscular older man, hairy from the head down and wearing a pair of tattered jeans that were stained thoroughly in blood. When he grinned, he exposed two rows of sharpened teeth. Feral, he was, having embraced his condition thoroughly. Greyback sniffed at him like the younger were had done, though not to the same extent. He then reached a hand towards his neck again, but this time merely pulled back part of Lupin's robe. The former professor froze completely, making no move to stop him.

Greyback fingered a large scar at the nape of Lupin's neck, raising an eyebrow. "Well now. One of mine, returned to me." He bent down a bit, looking him in the eye. "Blue," he growled. "With the full moon so close? My my. Fancy yourself human still?" There was some snickering among the gathered werewolves. "What did you say your name was?"

"Lupin. Remus Lupin."

A look of recognition crossed the were's features. "Ah! Lupin, yes. I remember you. It was only fitting, with a name like yours, for me to mark you, don't you think?" He bent down by Lupin's ear again. "And how is that father of yours, hm?"

Lupin was silent again and Greyback laughed, not expecting an answer anyway. It was the most horrific laughter he'd ever heard.

Without warning, the large werewolf slammed him against the nearest wall. He gave a cry of shock, and slumped down to the floor. Greyback's eyes were aglow, and he was scowling fiercely. "Soft!" he growled. "Why are you here? Why return to me now, raised as you've been among wizards?"

Remus made an effort to stand up, but Greyback knocked him back down again.

"You will speak from there," he rasped. "If your excuse is fitting I'll allow you to apologize and beg my forgiveness before you stand in front of me again, traitor to your kind that you are."

Remus took his time before speaking, keeping his head bowed. "Do you think," he said finally, "that once everyone that knew what I was realized that Voldemort was well and truly alive, that they would allow me any more compassion?"

"Do you assume to ask us for pity?" The wolves chuckled again as Greyback regarded him with contempt. "You'll find none of that here."

"I do not seek your pity!" He willed himself to get angry, to fell real anger as he spoke. "I'm tired of living among cowards!"

Greyback snorted. "You're not a coward then? Running to us like you have?"

"If I were a coward," Remus growled, "I'd be running away from you, not them."

Nothing was spoken for a moment. Then Remus began to hear a low growling noise, which became louder until he realized it was the elder werewolf chuckling at him. He found himself being dragged to his feet by a pair of strong hands and held at arms length from the Alpha wolf. Greyback was grinning again, and it was a sight Remus wished to see as little as possible in his future dealings.

"If you betray me," Greyback rasped, "I'll rip your heart out."

At these words, the image of a young woman with a heart-shaped face with tears flowing down her cheeks entered his mind. He closed his eyes and willed the image away, but couldn't help muttering before he did so "_It already has been_."


End file.
